Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi are set to return to the show's third season with several blockbusters under their belts
The post ‘Euphoria’ Cast and Character Guide | Photos appeared first on TheWrap.
The long-awaited — and highly speculated — return of “Euphoria” is here. And the stars it created have not left the series behind just yet.
HBO announced Friday that the series will kick off production for the new season in January 2025, and all main cast members are expected to return. The Emmy Award-winning series delayed production in March, giving the series’ stars opportunity to pursue other projects.
Many of the show’s regulars have blossomed into Hollywood’s young elite. Zendaya has already had a huge year with “Dune: Part Two” and “Challengers” premiering just a few weeks apart. Sydney Sweeney has skyrocketed as a producer and actress with her box office hit “Anyone But You” horror flick “Immaculate.” And Jacob Elordi has transitioned from teenage heartthrob to leading man in his recent projects “Saltburn” and “Priscilla.”
Not all of the cast will return, though. Barbie Ferreira announced in 2022 that she would be exiting the show, and singer Dominc Fike said he was unsure if his character, Elliot, would return for a new season. Fezco’s storyline will also come to a sudden close, following actor Angus Cloud’s unexpected death last year.
For more on what the “Euphoria” stars have been up to since Season 2, keep reading.
Zendaya’s star turn as Rue in the HBO drama skyrocketed her career to new heights. Since her Emmy-winning performance as the teenage drug addict, Zendaya has gone on to lead many film projects, including two blockbusters just this year with “Challengers” and “Dune: Part Two.” She executive produced the second season of the series in 2020 and is expected to return to that role with Season 3.
Elordi plays Nate Jacobs, the star high school football player with a complicated life back home. The star’s overbearing presence is captivating to watch on screen and his character plays a pivotal role in a love triangle in Season 2. Elordi transfixed audiences in “Saltburn” and took the reins from Austin Butler as Elvis in “Priscilla.”
After booking “White Lotus” following her first season on “Euphoria,” Sweeney has only continued to tie herself to buzzy screen projects. She executive produced and starred in “Anyone But You” last fall, breaking box-office records with the rom-com grossing over $200 million. Sweeney also starred in the not-so-successful “Madame Web” and her divine thriller “Immaculate.” Sweeney will reprise her Emmy-nominated role as Cassie Howard.
Schafer made her acting debut as Jules in the HBO drama series. Jules has long been a personal role for the actress, who is also a transgender woman — so much so that she wrote a Jules-centric episode. Since her success on the show, Schafer has gone on to star and critical and commercial successes like “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness.”
Demie plays the feisty Maddy Perez, best friend of Cassie and on-and-off girlfriend of Nate, in “Euphoria.” Her other film credits prior to her role in “Euphoria” include the coming-of-age film “Mid90s” and the drama “Waves.” Since the show, Demie has not been as active in Hollywood, other than a short cameo in “The Idol.”
Domingo received an Emmy Award for his performance as Ali in the second season of the HBO series. His role as Rue’s sponsor reveals a special bond between the pair and highlights the tumultuous nature of recovery. Domingo has worked consistently since Season 2 wrapped, even receiving an Academy Award nomination for his role in “Rustin” earlier this year. His new movie “Sing Sing,” which he executive produced and stars in, has a limited theatrical release Friday.
Cloud played Fezco, the drug dealer with a big heart. The production team plucked Cloud off the streets to make his acting debut in the show about addiction, trauma and loss. After a heart-wrenching performance in Season 2, featuring a love connection between him and Maude Apatow’s character and the death of his on-screen brother, fans were excited to see the return of Fez, but real-life tragedy intervened.
In Sept. 2023 it was confirmed that Cloud died due to an accidental overdose, with the coroner’s report indicating several narcotics in his system. Many “Euphoria” cast mates came forward to express their condolences last fall. His final films, “The Garfield Movie” and “Abigail,” both arrived in theaters in 2024.
Apatow made her debut as a series regular in the HBO series, where she plays Lexi, the younger, more level-headed sister of Cassie. Since joining the cast of “Euphoria,” Apatow has been featured in “The King of Staten Island.” She also made her off-broadway debut as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.” The daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann started her acting career playing her mother’s daughter in several movies, including “This is 40” and “Knocked Up.”
Reid plays Rue’s younger sister, Gia, in the HBO series. In Season 2, Gia saw Rue’s withdrawals firsthand. The young actress is known for her role as Meg in “A Wrinkle in Time.” Since wrapping “Euphoria” Season 2, the actress featured in the films “The Suicide Squad” and “The Nun II,” TV series “Last of Us” and started studying acting at USC.
Ferreira played Kat Hernandez, a girl struggling with self-confidence and body positivity. After rumors of on-set clashes with director Sam Levinson, Ferreira announced in August 2022 that she would be exiting the show after the second season. She clarified on an episode of “Armchair Expert” that she never felt like a victim on the show but felt she couldn’t leave without publicly addressing it – “don’t believe everything you read,” she stressed on the podcast.
Cal Jacobs is the father of football star Nate. In the first episode of the series, Cal meets up with the trans teenager Jules for an affair at a motel. Throughout the series, his issues become reflected in his son. Dane, known for his role as McSteamy in “Grey’s Anatomy,” has starred in “Redeeming Love” and the recently released “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” since the show last wrapped.
Fike joined the cast in Season 2, playing Elliot, the love interest of both Jules and Rue. He has opened up in the past about the difficulties of joining the drug-centered show as a drug addict himself. He told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that Levinson got him a sober coach to be on standby while shooting, but he said it “did not work.” The “3 Nights” singer has continued his music career since wrapping the show. His music has been included in “Barbie” and Sweeney’s “Anyone But You.”
King plays Rue and Gia’s mother, Leslie, in the drama series. Leslie struggles to take care of a version of her daughter she hardly knows, leaning on Ali (Domingo) for strength and guidance. The actress recently executive produced and starred in “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.”
Walton played Ashtray, the younger brother of loveable drug dealer Fez (Cloud). In the finale of Season 2, Ashtray opens fire as a SWAT team storms the drug den, accidentally shooting his brother. The cops then kill Ashtray in the crossfire, leaving the show on a major cliffhanger. It is unclear whether Walton may return to the show in another capacity. Walton has gone on to star in the film “Samaritan,” the Hulu miniseries “Under the Bridge” and Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy.” He also voiced Pugsley Addams in “The Addams Family 2.”
Abrams plays Ethan, Kat’s internet boyfriend and the lead of Lexi’s play in Season 2. The actor is known for his roles in “Dash & Lily” and “This Is Us.” Since the release of the second season, Abrams has starred in Netflix’s “Do Revenge,” among other projects. The trajectory of his character is unclear after Ferreira’s exit from the show.
The post ‘Euphoria’ Cast and Character Guide | Photos appeared first on TheWrap.
